Public safety answering points (PSAP) are increasingly using sophisticated geo-coordinate-based maps to pinpoint and display the location of the originator of an emergency call and to guide emergency response units to the location. Currently, such map data is limited to fixed telephones (i.e., wireline) but in the near future must include geo-coordinates of wireless (also known as cellular) telephones making emergency calls. Several problems must be solved before such pinpoint accuracy of both wireline and wireless maps are universally available.
First of all, companies that create maps for large areas or even the entire country generate most maps to include geo-coordinates. These maps are carefully surveyed and the geo-coordinates carefully documented. However, such maps may include local inaccuracies and cannot keep up with the ever-changing landscape of a local community.
Secondly, a PSAP serves one or more jurisdictions for several services (i.e., police, fire, animal control, etc.). These local PSAP's are not concerned with the majority of the commercially available maps; they are only concerned with their particular jurisdiction. Occasionally, however, a PSAP may be called upon to cover for a non-local jurisdiction.
Thus, the economies of purchasing accurate, up to date for every possible jurisdiction quickly becomes overwhelming for small and/or rural jurisdictions.
Therefore a problem in the art is that there is currently no economical accurate map data universally available.